Planter



(N0 MOdeL) T- W. THORNTON.

'PLANTER Patented Oct. 9, 1888.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,722, dated October 9,1888.

Application filed April 4, 1888.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs WILLIAM THORNTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stewards Mill, in the county ofFreestone and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Planters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in planters, being designed to act either as a cotton or corn planter, or, by the removal of certain parts and the adjustment of others, as a cultivator; and it consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a planter embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of the machine. Fig. et is a side View of the cottonseedffeeding disk. Fig. 5 is a view of the machine when arranged as a cultivator.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the main frame of the machine, composed of the tongue x, the side bars, a a', connected at their front ends thereto and diverging rearward therefrom at suitable equal angles, and the front and rear transverse connecting-bars, c2 c, respectively.

Hinged to the lower surface of the butt of the tongue, at the junction of the same with the side bars, is the standard b, carrying the i'urrowppenerl, to which standard is pivoted a bridle-loop, b', the bend of which passes over thetongue. By moving this bridle-loop frontward upon the tongue the standard and furrow-opener can be raised, so that the latter will not touch the ground when turning or when transporting the machine.

Pivoted upon the rear ends of the side bars, c a', respectively, are the standards c c' of the respective eoverers C C', each of Which is provided with a bridle-loop, c2 c3, respectively, similar to and serving the same purpose as the bridle b. The standard c has its position fixed, but the standard c is detachable and can be removed and attached to a pivotal point, c", on the side bar a' somewhat in rear of the seed-box. The machine, with the foregoing parts as described,and without the attachment of the hereinafter-described detachable parts, is adapted to be used as a cultivator.

Serial No. 269,586. (No model.)

d d are the wheels, secured to and turning with the axle D, which rotates in journalboxes d d', bolted through openings in their flanges to the under surfaces of the side bars, a e', at opposite points, there being two bolts, d2, to each journalbox.

E is the corn-feeding disk, provided in its periphery with the equidistant recesses e e,

sufficiently large to receive several grains of corn, which disk is secured at'a proper point upon and rotates with the axle, and F is the cotton -seed-feeding disk, also secured upon and rotating with the axle on one side of the corn-feeding disk. The disk F is preferably of plate metal and has its periphery serrated, as shown.

G is the hopper-shaped seed-box, having its floor secured to the side bars between the transverse bars c a3 by the bolts (Z2, that secure the journalboxes d to said side bars. It is thus evident that by removing these bolts the -hopper and the axle, with the wheels and disks E and F, can be detached, and the machine Will then be adapted to be used as a cultivator. The hopper is divided longitudinally into two compartments, H and I, by the partition g. In the door ofthe compartment His the longitudinal slot h, into which loosely fits the upper portionof the periphery of the corn-feeding disk E, and in the floor of the compartment I is the longitudinal slot i, into which fits loosely the upper part of the periphery ofthe cotton-seed-feeding disk F.

J is a transverse shaft journaled in bearings j, secured to the edges of the sides of the seedbox and having secured to one end projected beyond the wheel on one side the depending arm j. The said arm is connected by the link-rod Kto a crankarm, k, secured to the projecting end of the axle, which crank-arm is sufficiently shorter than the arm j to vibrate the latter by its own rotation with the axle.

L L are agitator arms depending from the shaft J within the compartments H and I and stirring the seed therein.

M M are the handles, of usual construction, secured to the rear ends of the side bars, a a.

When planting eottonseed, the corncom partment H is left empty, and when planting corn the cotton-seed compartment I is left empty.

The manner in which the machine operates IOO is perfectly evident from the foregoing description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-'- The improved interchangeable or convertible machine herein described and shown, comprising the divcrging bars a a', the standards pivoted thereto and carrying shovels, the bridle-loops pivoted to the standards and engaging the bars a a', thejonrnal-boxes bolted to the diverging bars, the axle mounted in said boxes and having a crankarrn at one end, the carrying-Wheels mounted on the axle, the hopper removably secured on the diverging bars by the same bolts that secure the bearing boxes thereto, the longitudinal partition in the hopper dividingit into two compartments, the

plantingwheel and disk mounted on the axle and entering said compartments, the trans Verse shaft jonrnaled on the upper edges of the hopper and having a crank-arm at one end, the pitman connecting said crank-arm with the eranlearm on thc axle, and the stirringarms depending from the said transverse shaft into the compartments ol' the hopper, slibstantially as specified.

In testimony that I el aim the foregoing as my own I have hereto ailixed my signature in pres` ence of two witnesses.

.Ron JoNns, JOHN XVA'rsoN. 

